Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 4 November 1999

Scottish Executive

Aircraft Maintenance

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what actions have been taken by Locate in Scotland to promote Prestwick Airport as a location for aircraft maintenance facilities.

Henry McLeish: Locate in Scotland was an active member of the Prestwick Task Force, and has continued to work closely with the Ayrshire Location Service on the matter. Extensive marketing was carried out in Locate in Scotland’s main overseas markets promoting Scotland’s, and in particular Prestwick’s potential as a location of MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) aerospace activities. In addition, Locate in Scotland together with Ayrshire Location Service participated in the MRO Europe Exhibition and Conference in Limerick earlier in September to raise the profile of Scotland and Prestwick in particular.

  Locate in Scotland has also worked closely with existing aerospace employers at Prestwick to facilitate expansion of existing operations. Currently Locate in Scotland and the Ayrshire Location Service are pursuing some specific project opportunities, but it would not be appropriate to comment on these at this stage.

Careers Service

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what attempts have been made to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in the provision of careers advice to children with special needs throughout Scotland, particularly in rural and island communities.

Henry McLeish: Departmental guidance to Career Service Companies requires that services provided to clients are equally accessible to all clients regardless of background, gender, race, nationality, religion, stage of development, ability or disability and sexual orientation.

  The guidance requires the provision of special advice to individuals who require additional support because of disability, learning, language or other difficulty.

  Companies have clear equal opportunities policies and are encouraged to ensure that their staff maintain a full and up-to-date appreciation of equal opportunities issues.

  All career service companies have achieved the Scottish Quality Management System which includes standards to be met on promoting equality of opportunity.

Co-operatives

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to promote training on the principles of co-operative enterprise in colleges across Scotland.

Henry McLeish: The colleges themselves are responsible for providing a range of further education and training opportunities which reflect local demand and needs. Courses are on offer, which cover the principles of co-operative enterprise.

Co-operatives

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to visit Mondragon Workers’ Co-operative in order to examine best practice in developing local solutions to local problems.

Henry McLeish: There are no such plans.

  This is a matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask the Chief Executives to contact you with a view to discussing the issue of Worker’s Co-operatives in the context of business development.

Co-operatives

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been given by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to co-operatives in the years 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of this organisation to write to Helen Eadie.

  I will also ask the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to contact her with a view to discussing the issue of co-operatives in the context of business development.

Co-operatives

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support has been given by Scottish Enterprise to co-operatives in the years 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of this organisation to write to Helen Eadie.

  I will also ask the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to contact her with a view to discussing the issue of co-operatives in the context of business development.

Community Care

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it proposes to address the needs of young carers in Scotland.

Iain Gray: I recognise that young carers have specific needs and that more must be done to help meet these needs. I will be announcing shortly the content of our Carers’ Strategy for Scotland which will include measures to increase recognition and support for young carers.

Education

Ian Welsh (Ayr) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has to address the training requirements of 16 to 19 year olds with special educational needs.

Henry McLeish: The Beattie Committee report, Implementing Inclusiveness – Realising Potential was published on 10 September. It contains a number of proposals and recommendations on post-school education and training for young people who have additional support needs, including those who have special educational needs. Ministers are now considering the recommendations in the report. Following a series of dissemination seminars, Ministers will publish an Action Plan in January 2000.

Education

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish local authorities have made financial provision to cover the cost of pre-school education for pupils whose parents have opted for deferred entry and which authorities these are.

Peter Peacock: Details are not held centrally of local authorities’ financial provision for children whose entry to primary school has been deferred. We understand that virtually all local authorities provide pre-school places for a number of such children.

Education

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to ensure the health and safety of janitors in schools with coal fired boilers in relation to (a) the moving and handling of coal and ashes and (b) potential respiratory problems.

Peter Peacock: Local authorities are responsible for health and safety issues relating to their employees, including school janitors.

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by Sam Galbraith on 22 September 1999, when it intends to bring forward proposals to remove the statutory basis of the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee.

Mr Sam Galbraith: We shall bring forward proposals at the first opportunity.

Education

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many entrants there are in the current academic year for the Scottish Universities’ Speech and Language Therapy degree courses.

Nicol Stephen: In the current academic year, 1999-2000, there is a total of 77 entrants studying Speech and Language Therapy at Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh and Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

Employment

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-301 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, how many people in Scotland are enrolled in: (a) the New Deal 50 plus; (b) the New Deal 25 plus pilots; (c) the New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged 25 plus; (d) the New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People; (e) the New Deal for Disabled People, and (f) the New Deal for Lone Parents.

Henry McLeish: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.

  The number of people in Scotland participating at end May 1999 are:

  (a) New Deal 50 plus: Programme not yet commenced. Pathfinders started on 28 October 1999.

  (b) New Deal 25 plus pilots: Information on pilot clients will be available in the Autumn.

  (c) New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged 25 plus: 7,500

  (d) New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People: 37

  (e) New Deal for Disabled People: 233

  (f) New Deal for Lone Parents: 4,630

Energy

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made of the potential impact of energy taxes on the costs and competitiveness of high energy using Scottish industries.

Henry McLeish: I am aware that concerns have been expressed about the impact of the UK Government’s proposals for a climate change levy on particular areas and sectors. I am keeping this matter under close review.

Enterprise

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to detail (a) the costs incurred by Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd (LEEL) in the acquisition and development of a site at Peffermill, Edinburgh for Brown Brothers; (b) any additional or ancillary costs incurred by LEEL in respect of the proposed move to the site; (c) any expenditure incurred by Craigmillar Initiative or any related organisation in the attempt by LEEL to provide a site for Brown Brothers, and (d) any expenditure incurred by Fife Enterprise or any other public funding body in the relocation of Brown Brothers to Dalgety Bay.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of that organisation to write to Mr MacAskill.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with representatives of the fishing industry the impact of fuel duty on its costs.

Mr John Home Robertson: I have had no representations about this matter.

Highlands and Islands

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the expenditure on external contracts for public relations and lobbying activities by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for each of the past two years and its budgets for these activities for the current financial year.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to write to the Member and will arrange for copies of the replies to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Justice

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is being made to ensure that professional interpreting services are provided in all cases in the Scottish criminal justice system where an accused person cannot understand or speak the language used in court.

Lord Hardie: Where the prosecutor receives information that an accused person cannot speak or understand English he will make arrangements, usually through one of the interpreting agencies, to have an appropriate interpreter attend court to assist the accused.

Pay Levels

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the levels of half median male earnings for (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each local authority area.

Henry McLeish: Latest figures for half median male earnings, for Scotland, and for local authorities for which reliable information is available, are shown in the table below.

  Median and half median gross weekly pay of men in full time work Scotland, April 1998

 Scottish Unitary authorityGross Weekly Pay (£)   MedianHalf Median  Great Britain   362.8   181.4 Scotland   345.5   172.7 Aberdeen City   425.0   212.5 Aberdeenshire   348.9   174.5 Angus   ..   .. Argyll & Bute   325.8   162.9 Clackmannanshire   ..   .. Dumfries & Galloway   311.9   156.0 Dundee City   326.0   163.0 East Ayrshire   312.0   156.0 East Dunbartonshire   ..   .. East Lothian   311.4   155.7 East Renfrewshire   ..   .. Edinburgh, City of   369.3   184.6 Eilean Siar   ..   .. Falkirk   334.5   167.2 Fife   341.8   170.9 Glasgow City   350.2   175.1 Highland   340.2   170.1 Inverclyde   ..   .. Midlothian   ..   .. Moray   326.3   163.2 North Ayrshire   357.0   178.5 North Lanarkshire   ..   .. Orkney Islands   ..   .. Perth & Kinross   317.3   158.7 Renfrewshire   347.8   173.9 Scottish Borders, The   ..   .. Shetland Islands   ..   .. South Ayrshire   345.7   172.8 South Lanarkshire   332.5   166.3 Stirling   ..   .. West Dunbartonshire   ..   .. West Lothian   326.2   163.1   

  Source: New Earnings Survey, April 1998

  Note: ".." denotes not available.

Public Relations

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the expenditure on external contracts for public relations and lobbying activities by Scottish Enterprise for each of the past two years and its budgets for these activities for the current financial year.

Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and I have asked the Chairman to write to the Member and will arrange for copies of the replies to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

RAF Buchan

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it intends to give to the campaign to maintain the facility of RAF Buchan, Peterhead, and whether it will set up an economic task force to investigate fully the potential impact on the local economy should the base be closed.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in contact with MOD on a wide range of issues including their review of RAF Buchan.

Sport

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that the two European Football Championship play-offs proceed without disorder, both inside the stadiums and elsewhere.

Rhona Brankin: All agencies associated with the fixture are already in close contact in the lead up to the matches. These include representatives from the respective Football Associations, the Metropolitan Police, Strathclyde Police, British Transport Police Forces, the National Criminal Intelligence Service and, of course, the Scottish Executive and the Home Office. The aim throughout will be to ensure that spectators can enjoy both matches in a safe and secure environment as they did when the two teams met at Wembley during Euro 96.

Streetlighting

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the streetlighting in Greengairs is currently in a state of repair which meets the standards required by Scotland’s local authorities.

Sarah Boyack: The standard of lighting in Greengairs is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council.

Tourism

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to examine the marketing strategy of the Scottish Tourist Board and local tourist boards to promote tourism in the north of the Highlands area.

Henry McLeish: An important objective of the new strategy will be to boost tourism in the remoter areas. The Scottish Tourist Board, which is preparing the new strategy, together with its partners who include the Area Tourist Boards, is considering what needs to be done. Marketing is one of the areas they will be looking at.

Transport

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, having regard to the comments in Renfrewshire Enterprise’s Economic Audit of 1999 regarding gridlock on the M8 and Kingston Bridge and its impact on new investment and existing business, and the concerns of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce regarding that and the completion date of the M74, it has any plans to deal with these issues and alleviate the concerns of the local business community.

Sarah Boyack: The M74 Northern Extension is one of 17 major road schemes being considered in the Strategic Roads Review. I reported to Parliament on the review today.

Transport

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to secure a Scotland wide concessionary transport scheme for pensioners.

Sarah Boyack: Concessionary travel schemes for pensioners are currently administered by local authorities who have the powers to operate joint schemes if they wish. We are looking at ways to encourage improvement and integration of such schemes.

Transport

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has had from the business community in Glasgow Rutherglen constituency regarding the proposed M74 extension.

Sarah Boyack: None from the business community in the Glasgow Rutherglen constituency. Some representations have however been received from umbrella business groups whose membership may include businesses based in Rutherglen.

Treasury

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Treasury relating to the effect on the Scottish manufacturing industry of the current level of interest rates and the strength of Sterling.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government across a range of issues including those affecting the macro-economic environment.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Information Technology

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the cost is of each of the laptops purchased for MSPs and how this compares with current market prices for similar specification machines.

Sir David Steel: All the laptop computers for MSPs were purchased in April 1999 by the then Scottish Office, under Government competitive procurement rules. Suppliers were invited to bid for supply of validated models meeting the precise specification required for compatibility with the Parliament network and dial-in service. As normal for specific, lower value procurements of this kind, bids were invited and submitted as "Commercial in Confidence" to ensure suppliers did not lose competitive advantage by disclosing prices for particular products to their commercial rivals. All bids were then evaluated for both technical quality and price, the successful bid being that offering greatest value for money. Owing to the inherently competitive nature of this procurement process, and the eagerness of suppliers to secure business with the new Scottish Parliament, the successful bid established an extremely advantageous price for equipment of this quality and specification.

  The ICT market is a highly volatile one. The cost of equipment decreases with its age whilst the quality of the equipment increases, and in both cases this change happens within weeks. It is therefore not meaningful to compare equipment or prices with those of six months ago, since, whenever IT equipment is specified and costed, it is most likely to be different from the specification and cost of equipment with similar functionality defined some months later.

Information Technology

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what plans the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has to review the cost effectiveness and service delivery quality of the information technology resources provided to the Scottish Parliament.

Sir David Steel: In a very short period of time, the Scottish Parliament was defined and its core functions and processes initiated and installed in the interim accommodation at the Mound. This was achieved thanks to a significant amount of work by the staff, which has ensured that the business of the Parliament was, and is, supported during this set-up period.

  The Scottish Parliament is a new and evolving organisation whose working culture and practices are still being settled and defined. The SPCB will undertake a cyclical review of the cost effectiveness and quality of all its services as part of normal business practice and has already commenced this by reviewing staffing complement and structures. In the meantime comments on, and proposals for, services are welcomed, and those pertaining to IT should be channelled in the first instance through the MSP IT User Group, or direct to either the Head of IT or the Director of Communications.

Public Information

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many Scottish Parliament public information points exist, and what facilities are provided at each one.

Sir David Steel: Centralised provision is co-ordinated through the Public Information team. A main point of information at the Parliament site is the Visitor Centre in the Committee Chambers building. Remote access is available through the Enquiry Unit that answers written, email and telephone questions. A local rate number is available as well as a national rate number in order to offer a consistent service across Scotland. Public Information staff operate the main Switchboard ensuring easy access to basic information.

  Public information is also available through the Partner Library network of seventy-six public libraries throughout Scotland – one in each parliamentary constituency plus additional Partner Libraries in Portree, Dornoch and Ullapool to reflect the unique geographic and transport problems faced by constituents in the Highlands and Islands. Partner Libraries act as focal points in local communities for information about MSPs, the Parliament, it’s business and decisions. The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has a dedicated Library Liaison Officer charged with developing the Partner Library network. All Partner Libraries have been offered a full collection of core parliamentary publications, funded from the SPICe budget. They all receive WHISP, SPICe research publications, and will shortly receive the video of the opening ceremony. The majority of Partner Libraries provide public access to the Internet enabling constituents to access the Scottish Parliament website.

  Wider public access to information about the Scottish Parliament is increasingly available through electronic community information programmes being developed in the Scottish public library sector as part of national information and lifelong learning strategies such as New Library Network, Government Direct, the National Grid for Learning and Enabling Seamless Access.